AN ON-CAMPUS HYDROLOGICAL RESEARCH STATION SUPPORTS RESEARCH-BASED, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR UNDERGRADUATES, WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

At Western Carolina University, we use an on-campus hydrological research station and a field-based approach to provide students a strong conceptual and experiential framework for understanding hydrology. The Western Carolina Hydrological Research Station (WCHRS; wchrs.wcu.edu) has three mutually supportive roles: research-based training of undergraduates, hydrologic monitoring and research, and developing models for course-based undergraduate research experiences. In 2010, the NC Department of Environmental Quality installed 40 shallow wells as part of a state research program. Grant funding, especially from NSF, expanded infrastructure to include flumes, more wells, precipitation gauges, and soil moisture sensors. Students are integral to the monitoring, research, and management of the station.

The WCHRS is used for all levels of courses for collaborative, research-based assignments scaled in length and sophistication to student experience and course topic. Introductory classes pursue simple, provided questions, such assessing the impact of campus on water quality. In hydrogeology, a senior-level course, students define projects that span much of the semester. Some research problems focus on only groundwater, but most focus on groundwater-surface water interaction. Research questions can be interdisciplinary, taking advantage of ongoing geomorphological and ecological research in the station. In their projects, students use key skills such as measurement of groundwater levels, slug and infiltration tests, simple flownet modeling, sensor setup and data retrieval, authentic data analysis, and field protocols. Over 500 students from tens of classes have completed research projects as part of regular coursework. Over 70 students have presented their research at professional conferences.

The investment in infrastructure to support experiential learning has many positive impacts. Students value the experiences and assessment data on research experiences, including hydrogeology, show that they gain confidence and like the real-world applicability of the projects. Ongoing partnerships with the state, success of our students in the workforce and graduate programs, and an ongoing surplus of volunteers also reflect well on the value and experiences at the station.